Despite years of residents calling on the Tshwane Metro to fix issues plaguing a Daspoort Street, residents claim little or nothing has been done.

Johan Kruger, a Daspoort resident on Malie Street for more than 20 years, says he and fellow residents along Malie Street have been raising concerns for years.

Since last year, Kruger claims the Tshwane Metro has continued to make ‘service delivery’ a foreign concept. He points to tall grass that continues to grow, potholes that keep replacing roads, and ongoing concerns that remain unattended.

“Things are much worse; we’re cleaning, and the people are dumping every day. All the homeowners are doing the municipality’s work when we’re not supposed to. The potholes, the crime and the dumping are the worst. The dumping invites all sorts of rats and snakes into our houses because they don’t clean. Even you get homeless people sleeping along Van der Hoff [Road], which is not allowed. They must start cleaning up and do what they say—actions speak louder than words,” Kruger said.

Across from his home, long stretches of land still provide cover for vagrants in the tall grass, who allegedly use it to take drugs, defecate and sleep. Meanwhile, recyclers burn their goods, and taxis speed through the pothole-ridden street via illegal openings connecting to Van der Hoff Road.

Kruger and fellow neighbours say they use their own tools to cut the grass on stretches of land near their homes. They add that the overgrown grass has become so severe that it is growing onto the road. When combined with recyclers, pedestrians and vehicles trying to navigate potholes, residents say it creates congestion.

Ward 1 Councillor Leon Kruyshaar has echoed similar concerns in recent weeks about Malie and surrounding streets in his ward, saying: “The current state of Malie Street in Daspoort and Michaelson Street in Hermanstad is unacceptable and requires urgent intervention from the City of Tshwane. Overgrown vegetation, deteriorating road surfaces and potholes are creating safety hazards for motorists and pedestrians alike. The neglected conditions also encourage illegal dumping and contribute to the overall decline of these areas.”

Kruyshaar says the metro must enforce municipal bylaws against illegal dumping, remove overgrown vegetation, repair potholes and damaged road surfaces and install ‘No Dumping’ signs at strategic locations to discourage further illegal dumping.

“We’ve got a lot of complaints about the condition of the road on Malie; I’ve received numerous. We also have vagrants living in the open trench where the railway line used to be. When they get on to the road, that is the City of Tshwane’s responsibility. In patches, it looks good because residents and the school (Laerskool Generaal Nicolaas Smit) take care of it themselves, but the vegetation is overcrowding the road surface. We had an accident here the other night, where two motorbikes tried to steer out of each other’s way, but collided with an oncoming vehicle. Our communities deserve clean, safe and well-maintained public spaces. I will continue engaging the relevant municipal departments until these issues receive the attention they deserve,” Kruyshaar said.

The Tshwane Metro spokesperson, Lindela Mashigo, says the metro has escalated illegal openings into Van der Hoff to the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) and is rolling out a programme aimed at addressing potholes in the area.

“The city has commenced a project to address the potholes as well as the overgrown grass in the area. Other lawlessness issues will be escalated to the TMPD for intervention. The pothole repair programme within the area started on 2 July 2026 and is expected to be concluded by 13 July 2026. Therefore, the repair of potholes on Malie and surrounding streets will be incorporated into this programme,” Mashigo said.

Mashigo also says grass cutting in the area around Laerskool between Keerom Street and Laerskool Nicolas Smit is scheduled for the week ending 17 July.

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